In recent weeks, we witnessed a revived discussion of the controversial draft law on NGOs and associations after Prime Minister Hun Sen announced that this piece of legislation would be passed in the near future. The draft law, which was first introduced in 2010, went through four revisions and was subsequently put on hold for two years following the successful advocacy effort of the civil society groups calling for more comprehensive consultations.

Over the past few weeks, the government has repeatedly asserted its intention to introduce a state secrets law in Cambodia. In a country that has not yet adopted a solid access to information law and has showed no hesitancy in restricting freedom of expression, such declarations are a cause for serious concern. In fact, the public right of access to information is not only the other side to freedom of expression, it is the backbone of democracy.